The Final Star Wars Trilogy
by Jedi Adia
Summary: I started writing Episode VII, after I realized that George Lucas wasn't going to do it. I just wanted to see how it would turn out. *ok, supposed to be writing a summary here* I'm putting it up as three chapters of a trilogy. Enjoy!
1. Episode VII: Shadow After Victory

Star Wars - Episode VII. Shadow After Victory  
By Jedi Adia  
  
Star Wars - Episode VII. Shadow After Victory  
By Jedi Adia  
  
Disclaimers: Star Wars belongs to George Lucas, but some of the evil characters were created by me, so those are mine.   
  
Less than a year after the end of the Rebellion, remnants of the Empire  
have resurfaced. Hoping to regain control of the galaxy, Admiral Jule  
Tarkin, daughter of Grand Moff Tarkin, has sought refuge with her three  
Star Destroyers in a vast nebula.   
  
The Millennium Falcon has joined the Rebel Alliance at the Rebel Base on  
Naboo. There, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia and Lando  
Calrissian learn of Tarkin's plot to destroy the Alliance and continue  
on from where Emperor Palpatine left off. So now, the Rebels must fight  
to maintain freedom in the galaxy, even if it means another galactic  
war...  
  
Admiral Jule Tarkin's fleet consisted of only three Star Destroyers. However, these Star Destroyers had the firepower to blow entire planets into oblivion.   
  
***  
  
Jule stood alone in the center of the vast room. A holochip sat at her  
feet, waiting to be activated. However, Jule knew only too well what was  
probably inside. Hesitantly, she knelt down and touched the small disk  
that occupied most of the top face. As she suspected, a hologram of Dark  
Master Muroth rose from the disk.   
  
"Rise, my servant," Muroth commanded.   
  
Jule rose to her feet and stood, facing the holographic image. She was afraid she wouldn't like what he had to say.   
  
"Your progress out of the Beta Nebula is not as swift as it should be," Muroth said.   
  
"It is mandatory that we do not alert the Rebels of our   
presence," Jule stood up straighter.   
  
Muroth scowled. "We must do that, if we want to   
regain control of the galaxy." Jule looked away. "Look at me!" Muroth rasped.   
  
"Don't start making idle threats, Muroth," Jule said, coolly.   
  
Muroth regarded Jule for a moment. "You're preoccupied, Admiral," he  
said.   
  
"No, my master."  
  
"I can see through you, Admiral," Muroth said.  
  
"Yes, my master," Jule said. "It's Vader's wife. Padme Naberrie. She's  
alive."  
  
  
Morning dawned over Naboo with an explosion of orange. The ominous  
shadows of the Naboo palace fell over the Naboo plains. The capital city  
of Theed was like a ghost town, after it fell to the Empire years  
before. The planet of Naboo seemed the perfect place for a Rebel base.  
And that was on Princess Leia Organa's mind, as she walked down toward  
the outer terrace, her boots echoing on the stone steps. A hovercar  
approached and a man in a general's uniform got out.  
  
"Ah. General Reikkan. I must speak with you."  
  
"Princess Leia, it is urgent that I speak with you as well."  
  
Leia cocked an eyebrow. Reikkan looked nervous about something.  
"General, what is it?"  
  
"This Rebellion is not over, like we first thought, Leia. As a matter   
of fact, it's as if it's barely even started," Reikkan explained.   
  
"What are you talking about, General? We've destroyed two Death  
Stars, as well as the majority of the Imperial Fleet. Most, if not all  
of the Emperor's people are in prisons all over the galaxy. If the  
Rebellion isn't over, I don't know what it is," Leia pointed out.   
  
"Not all of the Emperor's people are imprisoned and there's  
still the minority of the Imperial Fleet that's out there. Like I said,  
the Rebellion isn't over." The general walked past Leia and went into  
the palace, leaving her to stare after him in bewilderment.  
  
"He could be right, Leia," Luke said to her later on the lower  
terrace on the eastern side of the palace.  
  
"How are you so sure about this?" Leia asked.  
  
"Never say that to a Jedi, Leia," Luke chided, gently. "Because  
you already know why."  
  
"Right," Leia said. The whole concept of the Force. Luke was  
strong with it. So was she. And Vader is our father, she thought, with a  
pang of realization. She was no longer Leia Organa. She was Leia  
Skywalker. "Will this ever be over? Will there ever be peace?" She  
asked, bringing herself back to the conversation.  
  
"It could be, if what I heard is true."  
  
"What did you hear?"  
  
"That General Reikkan is right. However, there are only four  
Star Destroyers. They're hidden in the Beta Nebula, if I'm not  
mistaken," Luke said.   
  
"We must go annihilate them," Leia said, getting up from the table. Luke pulled her back down. "Anger and aggression lead to the Dark Side, Leia. Besides, they're not harming us," he said.   
  
"Not right now, but I tell you they are planning something. They're figuring out where we are and when they find us, they'll attack. They'll blow Naboo to pieces, just like they did Alderaan!"   
  
"Is that what this is about? You want to avenge the destruction  
of Alderaan, is that it?" Luke asked.   
  
Leia averted her gaze. "You don't know what it was like. To see  
the only home that you've ever known destroyed. To see the people  
you've called your family killed, because the Emperor wanted people to know just how powerful the Empire really was!"   
  
"You're wrong, Leia. I do know what that's like. I had been away  
at the time...I was with Ben, but while I was gone, some stormtroopers  
came and burned my homestead to the ground. They killed my aunt and  
uncle. Our aunt and uncle," Luke said, reaching out to her.   
  
"I'm sorry," Leia whispered.  
  
"Leia, what's wrong?"  
  
"I don't think our mother's dead. I meant to ask General Reikkan  
about it today, but I never got the chance," Leia explained. "If I'm  
right and she is alive-"  
  
"Then we have to find her before what's left of the Empire  
does," Luke finished. "I see why you're so upset."  
  
"Oh, Luke, I don't even know where to start looking for her. I  
mean, the galaxy is so big, she could be anywhere..." Leia trailed off.  
  
"Hey, what's going on?" a voice said from behind them. Luke  
looked up to see Han Solo step out onto the terrace. Leia turned to  
look at him.   
  
"Han," she whispered.  
  
"Hi, Han," Luke said. "We have some good news and some bad news.  
Which would you like first?"  
  
"The good news. It'll help soften the blow," Han answered. He  
walked over and sat at the table with them.   
  
"I think Mother's alive," Leia said.   
  
"You think?" Han said. "Who is she?"   
  
"Padme Naberrie," Luke said. "She was queen of Naboo more than  
twenty years ago, in the days of the Old Republic and the original Jedi  
Order, before the Purge."  
  
"If your mother's alive, who was the woman that went with you to  
Alderaan?" Han asked Leia.   
  
"The queen had many handmaidens who resembled her. One in  
particular was Sabe, who acted as her decoy and bodyguard. We think  
that it may have been Sabe who died at Alderaan," Leia explained.   
  
"Where did you find all of this out?" Han asked.   
  
"Han, take a look around. This is Naboo," Luke said.   
  
"Then this might be a logical place to start looking," Han said.  
  
***  
  
She called herself Ami Panaka. She made her home in the Mos  
Emeran region of Tatooine's Southern Hemisphere. The sandpeople and  
Jawas weren't abundant in this area, but there were some around. Ami  
lived most of her life in Mos Emeran as a peasant, or so she led people  
to believe. She had very little money; life had always been hard. And  
on this particular day, things weren't any different than they usually  
were.  
  
Ami left her home, as small as it was, it wasn't much of a  
house, but it was still a house, but anyway, Ami left her home and  
walked down the road. People said hello to her - she thought they felt  
sorry for her - as she passed them. One woman in particular - her name  
was Tamia - was the only person who stopped to talk to her. Tamia was a  
frail old woman, who was just as poor as Ami, maybe even worse off.   
  
"Hello, dear Ami, how are things?" Tamia asked, placing her hand  
on Ami's arm. Even through the cloth of her sleeve, the feel of Tamia's  
touch was cold.   
  
"Oh, Tamia, I'm fine, but I'm more worried about you. You...the  
heat is taking its toll on you. Go find a place to rest...a cool place,  
Tamia. I'm begging you as a friend...save your strength, Tamia. You  
need it to survive the wrath of the Empire," Ami pleaded.   
  
Tamia's eyes saddened. "Ami, the Empire cannot reach us here in  
Mos Emeran of Tatooine. We peasants need not worry about the Empire."  
She removed her hand from Ami's arm and walked away.  
  
"How I wish that were true," Ami whispered, as she watched Tamia  
walk away. The Empire could reach them. It had already contaminated  
Tatooine with its presence when it invaded Mos Eisley a year before.  
And now, Mos Emeran would be invaded...but Ami didn't want to be here when  
it was.  
  
***  
  
The senior officers of the Imperial Star Destroyer Macabre were  
gathered around the table in the conference room. They watched as Admiral Tarkin placed the holochip on the table. She activated it and Dark Master  
Muroth rose from its surface.   
  
"Who is this man?" Lieutenant Savis broke   
the silence.   
  
"Sith Lord, Admiral? Is this another Sith Lord?" Commander   
Roche asked.   
  
"In a sense, Commander. He is the one that will get the Empire  
back to what it was before..." Jule trailed off, as Muroth began to  
speak.  
  
"Senior officers of the Imperial Star Destroyer Macabre. Admiral  
Tarkin has summoned you all here to meet my acquaintance. I am Dark  
Master Muroth, Emperor Palpatine's successor," Muroth said, drawing  
himself to his full height.  
  
***  
  
"You know, we've been here for almost a year and there are still  
parts of this place I haven't even seen yet," Luke commented as he,  
Leia and Han walked into Queen Amidala's chambers.   
  
"There's a good chance she came back here after...what happened,"  
Leia said. "I mean, she probably came back, but what are the chances  
that she stayed?"   
  
"I didn't say that she stayed here, Leia. I'm just saying she  
might've left some clue here as to where she was going," Han said. "And  
so that's what we're looking for."  
  
"You're right. You're right. I'm sorry," Leia said and walked  
over to the closet. Flinging it open, she gasped. Headdresses,  
robes...it  
was overwhelming.  
  
"Leia," Han said from the other room. Leia went to him and he  
held up a holochip. "Where's R2?"   
  
As if he had heard him, the little droid trundled into the room  
and started babbling.   
  
"R2, this is more important," Han cut him off. He inserted the chip and R2 projected the image out in front of them. The image was of a young woman in a lot of makeup and one of the headdresses and robes Leia had seen in the closet.   
  
"Mother," Leia whispered. R2 beeped affirmatively.   
  
"Hey, I- What's this?" Luke said, walking in.   
  
"We're just about to find out," Han said.   
  
"Shush, she's going to say something," Leia said, leaning forward.   
  
"Chancellor Valorum. The people of Naboo are in desperate need  
of the Senate's assistance. The Trade Federation has taken extreme  
measures and blockaded the Naboo trade routes. Please, Chancellor.  
People here are dying. We'll take any help you can give us," Amidala  
finished and the image faded away into nothingness.   
  
"Did this message ever get sent?" Leia asked.   
  
"This is a copy of the message that was sent to the Galactic  
Republic Senate. Two ambassadors who were also Jedi Knights were sent  
to the Trade Federation to negotiate with the viceroy. They were almost  
killed," Luke explained. "Now I wonder...who were these Jedi? There's  
no record of their identities."   
  
"I don't think anyone was supposed to know. I believe it was a  
secret mission. A secret mission that led to the Rebellion," Leia said.  
"37 years..."  
  
"What's 37 years?" Han asked.   
  
"It's been 37 years since the Rebellion began. Mother saw the  
beginning of the Rebellion, and if she's still alive, she saw the end,"  
Leia answered.   
  
"If? You're not sure if she's alive or dead?" Han asked.   
  
"Oh, she's alive," Luke spoke up from where he had knelt beside  
R2-D2.   
  
Leia looked at Luke. "You have any more of these holochips?"  
  
"I'm sure there are more, but this was the only one I found."  
  
"Well. I think now's the time to go have that talk with General  
Reikkan," Leia said and turned to leave the room. She almost ran into  
Chewbacca, Han's Wookiee friend and co-pilot of the Millennium Falcon.  
"Hi, Chewie," she said and continued out of the room.  
  
Chewie roared in greeting and looked at Han. He roared again.   
  
"Lando's here," Han said, casting a glance in Luke's direction.  
They left the room and went in the direction of the ship and cargo  
area.  
  
***  
  
After the image faded, Jule looked around at the faces of her  
officers, searching for a reaction. Commander Roche cleared his throat  
and stared at the face where Muroth had once been.   
  
"So now, with the Dark Master, there's hope for the Empire,"  
Jule said, breaking the silence. "We will crush the Rebellion. We will  
sweep the Alliance away from this galaxy, leaving no trace of the  
Rebellion. And as for the children of Darth Vader...they will join us.  
Or...they will die."  
  
***  
  
Ami sat in the shadow of a building, near the center of Mos  
Emeran. A storm was coming. She could feel it.   
  
Closing her eyes, she tried not to remember what the Empire had  
done to her. Palpatine had torn her family apart. He had destroyed  
Alderaan, killing her daughter in the process. And her son...he might  
as well be dead. He was probably killed when Mos Eisley was invaded. Ami  
opened her eyes and let the tears flow. Pain...fear...suffering...that's  
what Palpatine stood for. She was suddenly sorry she had backed him all  
those years ago...before the Rebellion.   
  
Ami was stirred from her pool of disturbing memories by the  
sensation of dust and sand blowing across her face and the sound of  
running feet. She staggered to her feet and stumbled blindly, trying to  
follow the crowd. Ami fought to keep her eyes open and her feet moving,  
but her efforts were in vain. She was shoved out of the way as someone  
collided with her in the vast maelstrom. Ami stumbled and finally fellto the ground on the side of the road. Closing her eyes, she mercifully  
slipped into unconsciousness.   
  
***  
  
"Are you sure that's Lando?" Han asked, as they entered the  
shuttlebay. He, Chewie, and Luke stood inside the shuttlebay and  
watched  
a Victory class Star Destroyer power down. Chewie roared, as the ramp  
came down. Lando exited the star Destroyer and came over to them.   
  
"Yeah,   
that's Lando, all right," Luke said, under his breath.   
  
"Lando, what the heck are you doing with a Star Destroyer?  
Trying to get us all killed? The Rebellion isn't even over yet!" Han  
said.   
  
"Haven't you heard the good news? The Rebellion is over!  
Coruscant has just been liberated by the Rebels!" Lando said,  
excitedly. "Oh, and by the way, this ship behind me?" She's mine and her name is  
Excalibur."   
  
"Oh, that is good news, but we've got bad news to go right   
along with it," Han muttered. Chewie rumbled in agreement.   
  
"Han, ol' buddy, what's going on? Is it Leia?" Lando asked.   
  
Han looked at Luke. "You want to tell him?"   
  
"Lando, the Rebels may have liberated Coruscant, but this  
Rebellion is far from over. Word is that the Imperial Fleet has  
regrouped and is hiding somewhere. They could strike at any time,  
retake Coruscant..." Luke trailed off.   
  
"I get it," Lando said. "You can't stand the fact that I have a  
bigger ship than you do!"   
  
"Oh, get o-" Han cut off, as Luke placed a   
restraining hand on his arm. "Han, let him go. If he wants to get himself killed, then let  
him. He may be your friend, but I don't think his decision to risk his  
life is yours to change. Let him have his own life," Luke said. Han  
backed away. Luke was right. A Jedi was never wrong. Han threw up his  
hands and left the shuttlebay. Lando followed him, with a nod in Luke  
and Chewie's direction.   
  
Luke looked at Chewie. "I'm lost. I tried to help, but I  
honestly don't know what's going on." Chewie roared, perplexed by the  
behavior of his friend.   
  
***  
  
Even from a good distance away, one could see that Leia and  
General Reikkan were engaged in a heated discussion.   
  
"Look, I know how much you want to find your mother, but we have  
to fight this war - and win," Reikkan said.   
  
"My mother could be the key to the end of the Rebellion,  
General. She was the queen of Naboo in the beginning and then she  
became Darth Vader's wife. Darth Vader, my...father," Leia trailed off and  
recovered. "She was right in the center of the Rebellion. She knows  
things that we would probably never even think of."  
  
"Are you trying to tell me that you no longer think of Alderaan  
as your real home, the Organas as your real family?" Reikkan asked.   
  
Leia's eyes burned with angry fire now as she faced him. "Is  
that what this is about? You think I want to abandon - no, forget my  
life on Alderaan?" They're dead, General. Killed by the Empire. And  
there's not a thing I can do about that," she said.   
  
"You already have done something about that. But you must see  
the Rebellion through to the very end."  
  
"I believe, General, that my mother can help the Alliance. She  
probably knows more than either you or I, so I'm going to find her."   
  
  
"What if she doesn't want to be found? There is that  
possibility, Leia. She's been running from the Empire for most of her  
life. Been hiding from her own husband! What makes you think she won't  
hide from her own daughter as well?"   
  
"You know, General," Leia said, rising to her feet. "I've always  
known you to be a rational person, but if you can't let one woman try  
to find her family...her real family, because you're so wrapped up in  
giving the Empire what they deserve, and that is your life, then you are not  
being rational. I'm not going to listen to you. I am a higher  
authority, after all. I am the Princess of Alderaan."  
  
***  
  
None of the people running down the road away from the storm  
noticed the woman lying beside the road and if they did, they made no  
move to stop and find out what happened. Except for one.   
  
Panaka had served as captain under Amidala, queen of the Naboo,  
back before the Rebellion had even started. And it was him now that  
stopped at the side of the road to help Ami Panaka, peasant of Mos  
Emeran on the desert planet of Tatooine.   
  
The woman's clothes were tattered and the hood, or what was left  
of it, was pulled over her head. As she was now, face down in the sand  
and dust, Panaka could not see her face. Panaka rolled her onto her  
back and picked her up. The swarm of people was gone now, the street was  
quiet, as the storm gathered force.   
  
Panaka picked his way down an alley between buildings. Reaching  
the other end, he hailed a landspeeder, but the speeder didn't slow.  
Panaka turned and saw a safe haven from the storm. A door. Shifting Ami  
to his other arm, he hit the control. The door moved aside, revealing a  
dark realm beyond.   
  
Panaka stepped inside, locking the door behind him   
after it had closed. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he laid the woman on the  
floor and leaned over her. Ami moaned softly and her eyes opened.   
  
"My children," she whispered. "I wanted to save them, but I  
couldn't, and now...they're...dead..."  
  
"Your children...how?" Panaka asked.   
  
"Mos Eisley...Alderaan...Vader did this..."  
  
Panaka sat back on his heels. So this woman was a victim of  
Palpatine's wrath. Her children had been killed, they had now been dead  
for almost five years...she was incredibly poor...and her husband? What  
about him? Was he dead, too? "And your husband? Is he dead?" Panaka  
voiced the question which now sat foremost in his mind.   
  
"He is dead...to me. He serves the Emperor...as an agent of evil..."  
  
So her husband is a stormtrooper - wait. Maybe it was a Sith  
Lord. But how did she fall in with a Sith Lord? There was only one  
person Panaka knew of that that had happened to. "Who are you?" Panaka  
asked.   
  
"Ami..." the woman whispered.   
  
Obviously not what Panaka thought. "Get some sleep," he told her  
with a sigh. This was going to be a long night.   
  
***  
  
The holochip spun so that Muroth could see all of those who were  
gathered around the table. He finally stopped when the admiral again sat  
within his line of view. "I am here, because as you know, the Empire is  
on the brink of mass destruction."  
  
"The Empire is already destroyed. It was destroyed by the Rebel  
Alliance at Endor," Commander Roche spoke up.   
  
"You do not believe," Muroth rasped, as the chip turned to face  
Roche. "The power of the Force is massive, the Dark Side strong. The  
Rebels will not be able to stand up against the Dark Side, for they do  
not know the power of evil. The Dark Side is strong and it is this  
strength I will use...we will use...to destroy the Rebels and regain  
control of the galaxy."  
  
The hologram vanished, leaving the officers to stare at each  
other in amazement. Jule closed her eyes. The Empire would survive. She  
knew it would. And she would see to it that it did.   
  
***  
  
Leia met Han and Lando outside the throne room. Hugging Lando,  
she asked, "What brings you to Naboo?"   
  
"I came to show off my new ship - just kidding. No, actually I  
came here to seek the Alliance's help in liberating Cloud City," Lando  
said. "They may have lost control of Coruscant, but there are some  
places that they still have a hold of."  
  
"That should be no problem. It would be a great undercover  
operation with your new Star Destroyer," Han said, dryly.   
  
"Star Destroyer?" Leia asked, looking at them with her eyebrows  
raised.   
  
"Never m-"  
  
"Lando's got a new Victory Class Star Destroyer that he swiped  
from the Imperials a couple of months after the Battle of Endor. He  
calls it the Excalibur, and if you ask me, he's looking to get himself  
killed," Han said, cutting him off.   
  
"The Rebel Alliance would be glad to assist you, Lando. You are  
a Rebel general and you did help the Alliance by destroying the second  
Death Star," Leia said, ignoring Han.  
  
"What are you suggesting we do?" Han asked.  
  
"We go to Bespin and negotiate with the Imperials there. The  
negotiations should be short and without bloodshed. The Alliance is  
strong. The Imperials won't be able to stand up against us," Leia said.  
  
***  
  
"The Imperials are strong. The Rebels won't be able to stand up  
against us," Jule said during a meeting of the senior officers of the  
Infiltrator, another Imperial Star Destroyer. "We will leave the Beta  
Nebula as soon as the Eliminator is ready. I have already relayed our  
messages to the Macabre and the Belligerent. I will be on the Macabre  
and the Macabre will go first. The Eliminator will go next, followed by  
the Belligerent and the Infiltrator. I contacted Commander Toska last  
night and I was told the Eliminator will be ready by 1100 hours  
tomorrow. Am I clear?" Six heads around the table nodded. "Good," Jule  
said. "Dismissed."   
  
One by one, the officers filed out of the conference   
room. Jule was the last to leave and as the officers went back to their posts,  
Jule went to the shuttlebay and took a shuttle back to the Macabre. It was  
time for the Empire to get back all that they had lost.   
  
***  
When Ami woke up the next morning, she felt incredibly  
disoriented. She did not know where she was. Looking around, Ami was  
able to ascertain that she was in a small room with no windows. She sat  
up suddenly and wished she hadn't. Dizzy and lightheaded, she fell  
back...and someone caught her.   
  
"Anakin..." she murmured, her voice thick   
with drowsiness.   
  
"No," Panaka said, puzzled. "It's Panaka, miss...I'm sorry? I  
don't know your last name."  
  
"Panaka...Ami Panaka..."  
  
"Quite strange," Panaka mused. "I don't have any relatives."  
  
That's because it's an alias, Ami thought. I'm not really a  
peasant either. At least, I wasn't always.   
  
"Why don't you tell   
me more about yourself?" Panaka pressed.  
  
"My husband was strong in the Force...he wanted to become a  
Jedi. He went over to the Dark Side, instead. I fled with my children,  
Left one in Mos Eisley and went with the other to Alderaan...wait. No," Ami  
said. "I sent the other one to Alderaan with a friend, and the other...I left  
him in Mos Eisley with my sister...and then I came here."  
  
Panaka laid her back on the floor and sat back on his heels.  
"You're not who you say you are. I think...I know who you are."  
  
***  
  
"You know, R2, I don't see why we have to do this at all,"  
C-3PO complained, as the two droids entered the shuttlebay and walked toward  
the Excalibur. "After all that happened at Bespin, I just can't understand  
why General Solo and Princess Leia would want to go back there." R2  
uttered a series of beeps, twirps and twitters. C-3PO cut him off in  
mid-twitter. "I know she's the Princess of Alderaan, you senile trashcan!" 3PO smacked  
R2 on the very top of his dome and hastened toward the ramp of the Star  
Destroyer. He halted when he saw Han Solo come down the ramp.  
  
"General Solo! General Solo!" 3PO said, waving his metallic arm.  
"Are you sure going to Bespin is wise? Our odds of meeting up with the  
Imperials and surviving are 701,536-"   
  
"Never tell me the odds!" Han said, sticking his finger in 3PO's  
face.  
  
"But sir, the Rebel Base will be unprotected!"   
  
"The entire Alliance isn't going to Bespin. And anyway,  
Goldenrod - you don't have to go. You can stay here with everyone who  
isn't going on this mission!"   
  
"Good idea, sir," 3PO said and turned around. "Wait. What if the  
Rebel Base is attacked? The odds of this happening are 403,375,215-"  
  
"Just come with us, Goldenrod," Han said and pulled 3PO by the  
arm onto the ship.   
  
***  
  
"Han, I just finished - what's he doing here?" Lando asked, with  
a gesture toward 3PO. They were standing in the corridor near the ship's  
entry ramp.   
  
"He's coming with us. I really don't have a choice, Lando. He is  
Luke's droid," Han said.   
  
"I could be quite useful on this mission, sir," 3PO added.   
  
"Yeah, in a situation of everlasting peace," Han said,  
sarcastically.   
  
"Where are the others?" Lando asked, ignoring 3PO. As if on cue,  
R2-D2 trundled up the ramp and into the ship. "How many droids are we  
taking on this ship, Han ol' buddy, ol' pal of mine?"   
  
"Just these two," Han said. "I hope."  
  
"Why, General Solo - how rude!" C-3PO said. R2-D2 hooted  
indignantly. "R2-D2 says that droids may be quite vital on this  
mission," C-3PO translated.   
  
"There they are. It's about time," Lando said, looking out the  
door. Luke, Leia and Chewie were coming toward the ship.  
  
***  
  
"You know, I have to agree with Han. If we fly into Bespin with  
a stolen Star Destroyer, it'll be like wearing a sign that says `Here I  
am! Come and kill me!'"   
  
"This is really no different than when we took the Imperial  
shuttle and landed on the forest moon of Endor," Leia pointed out.   
  
Luke was silent for a moment. Then, "You're right. But still...I  
have a bad feeling about this."  
  
***  
  
"All right. Who do you think I am?"   
  
"You were one of the queen's handmaidens on Naboo 37 years ago,"  
Panaka explained.   
  
Ami sat up sharply. "You must be mistaken. I've been a peasant  
for most of my life. I've never been near royalty. I've never even been  
to Naboo."   
  
"You're lying," Panaka said, accusingly.   
  
"No!" Ami said, defensively.   
  
"If you're not, then why did you think I was someone named  
Anakin?" Panaka asked. "Wait. You're definitely not - my God, Amidala,  
I've found you!"   
  
***   
  
"Admiral? You wanted to see me?" Commander Roche said, as he  
stood in the doorway to Jule's office.   
  
"Yes, Commander. Come in," Jule said.   
"How is our progress out of the nebula?"   
  
"We have cleared the nebula, Admiral." There was silence.  
"Permission to speak freely Admiral?"   
  
"Permission granted."   
  
"You didn't ask me here to talk about leaving the nebula, Admiral.  
What is all this about?"   
  
"All right, Commander. You do have a right to know, after all.  
What do you know about Darth Vader's Jedi training?"   
  
"Admiral, what is this about?"   
  
"You'll find out soon enough. Just answer my question, please."   
  
"Obi-Wan Kenobi had only just become a Jedi Knight when he took  
on Anakin Skywalker as his apprentice. Things were going as they should  
have at first. But Anakin went against the Jedi Code and married Padme  
Naberrie-"  
  
"Against the Jedi Code, Commander?"   
  
"Yes, Admiral. It is against the Jedi Code for a Jedi to marry  
someone outside of the Order," Commander Roche answered. "Skywalker  
married Padme Naberrie and they had a boy and a girl - twins, I believe.  
Then the Dark Side beckoned to Anakin and he took the bait. Padme left  
the boy with her sister in Mos Eisley on Tatooine and accompanied the  
girl to Alderaan. Padme died a short time later and so Senator Bail  
Organa and his wife adopted her daughter."  
  
"No," Jule said. "Padme Naberrie is not dead. An Imperial  
scout reported seeing her in the Mos Emeran area on Tatooine."  
  
"Are you certain, Admiral? There was a Naboo handmaiden named  
Sabe that resembled her. It could have been her that the scout saw."   
  
"It could have been Sabe that died on Alderaan. In any case,  
we have to find this woman. We have to find her before Luke Skywalker  
and Leia Organa do. Dismissed," Jule said. She watched the door shut, as  
Roche left her office. Jule rubbed her shoulders and picked up her  
comlink. "Tarkin to bridge."  
  
"Savis here, Admiral."   
  
"Set a course for Tatooine. Engage when ready."   
  
"Aye sir. Bridge out."   
  
Jule sat back in her chair and relaxed when she felt the  
familiar sensation of the ship making the jump to hyperspace. "Ah, Padme  
Naberrie. I will have you soon enough. And then...the Rebellion will  
truly end."  
  
***  
  
"Well, everyone, we're under way. We should reach Bespin by  
2300 hours," Lando announced, walking into the former Imperial  
conference room that now served as a sitting room. The room was silent,  
save for 3PO's squeaking, as he nervously paced the length of the room,  
saying over and over again that they were doomed.   
  
"Relax, Goldenrod. Take a load off," Han said.   
  
"But sir, you know how much I hate space travel!" 3PO  
protested.   
  
"Would you like to be deactivated for the duration of the  
trip?" Luke asked from his corner of the room.   
  
"Forget the trip. How about deactivating him for the whole  
mission?" Han muttered. Chewbacca roared in agreement.   
  
"Oh do be quiet, Chewbacca. You'll only add to my pitiful  
troubles," 3PO complained.   
  
Chewbacca stood up to his full height and growled  
menacingly. "Oh, my." 3PO turned and headed for the door as fast as his  
metallic legs could carry him. While Chewie wasn't built of metal, he  
could go a lot faster. Quickly overtaking the golden droid, he flipped  
the switch on the back of 3PO's head and the droid lapsed into silence.  
Han tried hard to stifle a laugh, but was unsuccessful. Leia, Luke and  
Lando soon joined him and Chewie growled in satisfaction. He then  
proceeded to the cargo hold where he decided that C-3PO would stay for  
the rest of the trip.   
  
***  
  
"You must be mistaken, Panaka," Ami whispered.  
  
"No, Amidala...Your Highness. I am certain it's you."  
  
"Very well...Captain Panaka, it's me. I'm Padme Naberrie,"  
Padme paused, swallowing hard, "Skywalker. But please...Captain, you  
must tell no one. I have no desire to be found. However, I do want to  
find my children. I want to know if they are alright."   
  
"You will have to reveal your true identity if you want  
to find them," Panaka paused, contemplating what to say next. "Come with  
me, Padme. Let's go to the Rebels. We'll be safe there."   
  
"Where?"   
  
"Naboo. Once there, no one can hurt you. I promise." He  
stretched his hand toward her and she took it. He pulled her to her feet  
and together, they left for the spaceport. Padme was going home.   
  
***  
  
The rest of the journey passed quickly for Leia, as  
she tried to remember all that she could about her mother. She was  
actually surprised at how fast the time had gone by; before she knew it,  
Lando had announced that the Excalibur had reached her destination.   
  
"We should be landing in the center of Cloud City in about ten minutes," Lando told everyone. The group rose and went forward to the cockpit.   
  
"I remember the last time we came here. I came under my own power, in my own ship. I ended up leaving in a block of carbonite in the cargo hold of some slimeball bounty hunter's B-Wing," Han commented. "You sure there're no surprises waiting for us down there, Lando?" Yeah, he was nervous. And Leia couldn't blame him. Vader had  
used them all as pawns to get Luke, and Lando had betrayed them to the  
Empire. She didn't think Han would ever forgive Lando for that. Leia was  
nervous as well. She remembered that day as if it were yesterday. And  
she knew that day was gone. Gone, but it never would be forgotten.   
  
"I'm sure everything will be...fine," Luke said. Even he, a Jedi Knight, was dubious. This was, after all, the place where he had lost his right hand. Leia wondered what had happened during that duel, but she didn't dare ask.   
  
By then, the Excalibur had entered Bespin's atmosphere and was continuing its steady descent toward the city. Leia gasped when she saw dozens of TIE fighters zooming toward them. "I don't like this," she said.   
  
"Victory Star Destroyer Relentless, it is good to see you again. Please state your business," a voice said over the radio.   
  
Han and Lando exchanged nervous glances. "We're, uh, here to drop off some supplies," Lando answered.   
  
"We called for no supplies! Who are you?"   
  
"We're Imperial agents with news of the missing Imperial Fleet," Han said, desperately.   
  
The voice on the radio seemed to hesitate.   
  
"I think he's figured us out," Leia said, leaning over. The TIE fighters continued toward then at a steady pace.   
  
"You know, I think you're right," Lando acknowledged her. "I think they're preparing to fire on us." He pressed a button on the console before him and the shields came up. "Everyone sit down and strap in. This'll be a bumpy ride."   
  
***  
  
Jule walked onto the bridge, as the small fleet dropped out of hyperspace near the planet of Tatooine.   
  
"Admiral on the bridge," Roche said, looking up from his station.   
  
"Admiral!" Savis said, rushing toward her. "We just got a message from Cloud City. Word is that the Rebels are going to attack them!"   
  
Jule turned pale and wheeled toward the helm station. "Forget Tatooine! Set a course for Bespin and engage when ready!" She cried. "Savis, I'll be in my office." Turning on her heel, Jule left the bridge.   
  
***  
  
In her office, Jule sighed. What a cruel blow the Fates had dealt her! She had been so close to getting Padme Naberrie, queen of the Naboo. But what had happened at Bespin allowed Padme to escape the Empire - again. Had Padme done this? Had she somehow known the Imperials were coming for her and contacted the Rebel Base, telling them to attack? Was this all happening just so she could escape another Imperial entanglement? Oh, well. She mustn't worry about capturing Padme now. The Imperials at Bespin needed her. Padme would just have to wait. Either way, sooner or later, she would fall into Imperial hands, no matter how hard she tried not to. "Don't worry, Padme Naberrie. I will have you soon enough," Jule whispered. She sat down at her desk. There was work to be done if Padme was to be captured and the Imperials saved.  
  
***  
  
Panaka carefully maneuvered the borrowed landspeeder through the dusty streets of Mos Emeran. His private ship was waiting for them at the spaceport.   
  
Padme was nervous. She didn't know what would be waiting for her at the spaceport; she hadn't been there since fleeing Naboo - the final time.   
  
Just then, the speeder entered the spaceport and braked in front of the sixth hangar, the biggest one in the port. Padme gasped. She had recognized the ship immediately. A J-Type 327 Nubian. Her transport when she had ruled Naboo all those years ago.   
  
Panaka got out of the speeder and then helped her out. They left the speeder with a mechanic droid, who whisked the speeder away. He looked up and glimpsed what looked like stormtroopers. "Padme, we must hurry. I think we may have company," Panaka warned. The two of them hurried onto the ship, closing the hatch behind them.   
  
Panaka flung himself into the pilot's seat and started the engine. The ship roared to life and rocketed into the sky, leaving Tatooine in a matter of moments. Once out of the system, the ship jumped to lightspeed and streaked toward Naboo.  
  
***  
  
Panaka entered the room at the top of the stairs and found Padme sitting there.   
  
"It's been so long since I've travelled. Look at me, I've been living on Tatooine as a hermit for so many years," she whispered.   
  
"What happened in those days before the Rebellion?" Panaka asked.   
  
"I'd rather not discuss it," Padme said, turning away.   
  
"Padme...listen to me. You are a vital part of the Rebellion. You knew Anakin better than any of us-"  
  
"So did Obi-Wan and look where it got him!"   
  
"-and what you know could end this rebellion for good," Panaka finished.   
  
"And what will happen to me after the Rebellion?   
  
  
  
  
You send me back to Tatooine where I will finish my life? Am I just a tool for the Alliance? Is that what I am to everyone now?"   
  
"No...you could rule Naboo again. You can be with your children again," Panaka said.   
  
Padme turned to face him. "Luke and Leia? Are they really alive? Are they at Naboo?"   
  
"Yes-"   
  
"Why didn't you tell me in the first place?"   
  
"We were in a hurry to get off the planet. But now, I will tell you," Panaka said. "As a senator from Alderaan, Leia was the youngest person to hold a seat in the Senate. She's a princess, Padme. You should be proud."   
  
"Oh, I am!"   
  
"Now she's one of the leaders of the Rebellion. And Luke...well, up to about 4 years ago, he just worked with moisture vaporators. And now, he's a pilot in the Rebel Fleet. A commander, actually. As well as a Jedi Knight. He's got a lot of his father in him," Panaka explained.   
  
Padme's eyes sparkled with tears. "I can't believe it...I've missed so much..."  
  
Panaka placed his hand on her shoulder. "You'll see them soon," he said. "I promise."   
  
***  
  
The viewport before them suddenly lit up with laser fire. Lando fired a couple of torpedoes.   
  
"Take evasive action!" Han yelled.   
  
"This is a Star Destroyer, not a one-man fighter!" Lando yelled back.   
  
"Then you should have thought about that before you stole it from the Empire!" Han turned and went for the turrets. Lando fired 3 more torpedoes in rapid succession, obliterating some more TIE fighters. Two TIE fighters crashed into each other and exploded into a ball of flame.   
  
"We should send for reinforcements," Leia said to Luke, as Chewie followed Han to the turrets.   
  
"I agree, but how will we contact the Alliance without the Imperials noticing?" Lando asked.   
  
"If we encrypt a short message and send it on Alliance channels only, we should be safe. R2, can you do that for us?" Luke said. R2 beeped affirmatively and went to plug into a communications console.   
  
"We gotta find a way out of here," Lando muttered to himself. He turned to look at Leia and Luke. Leia turned pale as she watched three Imperial class Star Destroyers drop out of hyperspace. Lando turned back to the viewport. His eyes widened in shock. They were truly outnumbered now. All they could hope for was that the Rebels arrived soon.   
  
R2 let out an electronic wail in despair. Luke looked at the droid and then at Leia, who stared out the viewport. She was frightened. And, Luke realized for the first time, so was he.   
  
***  
  
"And the Rebels? Where are they?" Jule asked, staring out the viewport.   
  
"It's an undercover operation, sir," Savis explained. "Like the Battle of Endor."   
  
"They're in that Star Destroyer over there," Roche reported.   
  
"The Relentless?!" Jule wailed. "Open a channel."   
  
"Channel open, Admiral."  
  
"This is Admiral Jule Tarkin of the Imperial Star Destroyer Macabre. To whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?" Jule asked. She waited for a moment, but received nothing.  
  
***  
  
"We must bide our time until the fleet comes," Luke whispered. Lando nodded.   
  
"This is...Talon Karrde, an Imperial agent, Admiral. We have come to aid the Imperials of Cloud City. The Rebel Alliance has planned an attack. They could strike at any time, sir," Lando said, nervously.   
  
Narrowing her eyes suspiciously, Jule asked, "How did you learn this?"   
  
"The Rebels think they've won. Therefore, they are not as cautious as they used to be. They've broadcast their plans on all channels, both Alliance and Imperial," Lando explained.   
  
"Why haven't I heard about any of this?" Jule said, crossing her arms. There was no response. "I thought so. Surrender your vessel and prepare to be boarded." She turned to Savis and Roche. "Rebel scum."  
  
***  
  
Padme stared out the window as the Nubian dropped out of hyperspace near Naboo.   
  
"The base is located in the capital city. We'll be landing shortly," Panaka said, as they slid into orbit. He maneuvered the sleek craft into the atmosphere and dropped into the skies of Naboo. Flying in on thrusters, they arrived at the base five minutes later, only to find that the Rebel fleet was flying out.   
  
"What's going on? Is it Luke? Is it Leia?" Padme asked, staring at the fleet as it flew by.   
  
"I don't know," Panaka said, as he started the landing cycle.   
  
"What are you doing? We've got to go help them!"   
  
"We have to stay here, Padme," Panaka said. "It's not going to help the Alliance if the Imperials find out where you are." The Nubian touched the ground and Panaka grabbed her by the arm and led her off the ship.   
  
There were droids everywhere, but no sign of organic lifeforms. Padme stopped walking and stared. Looking straight ahead, she saw the Naboo Palace, which was probably the base itself.   
  
"Come, let's go inside," Panaka said. "It's getting dark."   
  
They entered the palace and went to the floor on which Padme's chambers were located. Padme opened the door and turned to face Panaka. She started to say something, but he cut her off.   
  
"Think nothing of it for now. They will come to you," he said. I'll be just down the corridor if you need anything. Good night."   
  
"Good night," Padme whispered. She stepped into her chambers and he went down the corridor. With a sigh, she closed her door and prepared to go to bed.   
  
***  
  
"Lando, what will we do?" Leia asked.   
  
"Leia, not so loud. The channel's still open. And no, I'm not sure what we'll do. Looks like we'll have to - Luke, what is it?" Lando said. He glanced up at the viewport and saw what Luke was looking at. The Rebel Fleet was dropping out of hyperspace. They had finally come.   
  
***  
  
"Admiral! There are more Rebel ships coming in! Our Rebel friends have called for reinforcements!" Savis cried, alarmed.   
  
"Retreat!" Jule cried.   
  
"Retreat!? Admiral, we could easily destroy them!" Roche yelled.   
  
"I don't want to waste the little fire power we have on petty ships like these Rebel ships! We only have three quantum torpedoes!"   
  
"But-"  
  
"They already know we've won, so they won't even try to fire upon us. They know they can be destroyed," Jule said. "Now do as I command, and turn the fleet around. We're getting out of here."  
  
"Aye, sir." The fleet turned around and sped off into the infinity of space.   
  
***  
  
"What are they doing?" Han asked, as he and Chewie came into the cockpit.   
  
"Retreating, it looks like," Luke observed.   
  
"Are we that intimidating?" Lando asked.   
  
"Maybe they didn't want to fire on a stolen Star Destroyer, because they thought they'd get it back," Leia commented. R2 beeped in agreement.   
  
"Hey, did someone ever reactivate 3PO?" Luke asked.  
  
"Oops," Han said. "I forgot."   
  
"Ah, leave him," Lando said, looking at Han with a grin. "It'll be much quieter that way."  
  
With the Imperial threat banished for now, everyone settled down and relaxed, as the Rebel Fleet slid into orbit around the planet Bespin.  
  
***  
  
Padme froze when she saw the picture on the table by the bed. It was in that instant that she knew it was Leia.  
  
"I'm sorry, Panaka, but this is something I know I have to do," Padme whispered. She went to the table, grabbed the picture and left the room for the ship.   
  
Outside, she opened the hatch and entered the ship. In the cockpit, she started the engine and took off, leaving Naboo behind. Upon leaving the system, the Nubian jumped into hyperspace. Padme was going to find her lost family, the only family she knew she had left.   
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Episode VIII: Rise of the Dark Master

Star Wars Episode VIII: Rise of the Dark Master  
by Jedi Adia  
  
After the Imperials' retreat, Bespin was liberated and the Alliance forces have returned to the Rebel base on Naboo. Luke and Leia still continue the desperate search for their mother, after being told by Panaka that she had taken a ship and gone to look for them,  
  
Padmé has returned to Tatooine, to seek guidance from a Jedi Master who had fallen prey to Vader's wrath, in hopes that he would know what had happened to Luke and Leia.  
  
Meanwhile, the Imperials have set up a base on Carida in an attempt to destroy the Alliance. With the help of a new menace, the Imperials hope to end the Rebellion once and for all.  
  
*  
  
The house, the single solitary house was the only standing structure for miles around in the Tatooine desert. It was here that Obi-Wan Kenobi, one of the last Jedi, had made his home. And it was Obi-Wan, whom the lone woman had come to seek.  
  
Shielding her face from the swirling sands, Padmé left the ship and went into the house. There had to be something here.something that would tell her where her children were. A lightsaber.a letter.maybe his spirit was here.  
  
"Obi-Wan.Ben.Ben Kenobi," Padmé whispered, as she gazed around the small, primitive dwelling. Suddenly, her eyes fell on an open book on a nearby table. Going over to the table, she looked down upon the page. She gasped. She was looking at the instructions for building a lightsaber. Padmé turned around. Someone had been here recently. Luke? He must have been here. Who else would need to build a lightsaber? Not Leia, certainly. She probably didn't even know about her Jedi heritage.  
  
She closed the book, running her hand over the cover. Something told her to take the book and leave. This was a sacred text of the Jedi, with their history, and everything they believed in. She didn't intend to leave it here so that it might fall into the wrong hands. Why Luke left it, she didn't know. But she was glad he did leave it. It could help her find him.  
  
***  
  
The Rebel Base hummed with activity, as Leia, Luke, and Panaka hurried toward the palace.  
  
"I'm telling you that she was here, Leia. She was, but now.I'm afraid she's gone."  
  
"I don't doubt you. I know she was here," Leia said, "I just question why she would leave. You did tell her we were here, didn't you?"  
  
"Yes I did.but we got here too late," Panaka answered. "The fleet was leaving just as we arrived."  
  
It was at this point that Luke stepped in. "Look, we know she left. It's nobody's fault," he looked at Leia, "and now we need to figure out where she's gone."  
  
"Where who's gone?" Han asked, coming up behind them.  
  
"Our mother," Leia answered, simply. "She was here, Han. She arrived just as we were leaving."  
  
"Look, I think I might know where she is," Panaka said, as he turned to head for the hangar. Han reached out and put a restraining hand on his arm.  
  
"Actually, you're needed here. You can go find her as soon as we can spare you," Han said.  
  
"Han-" Leia began, but he cut her off.  
  
"Admiral Ackbar wants to meet with everybody right now. Something about the Imperials regrouping."  
  
Leia nodded. "I guess this will have to wait." She looked at Panaka. "I just hope she stays where she is until we can get to her."  
  
***  
  
Even though it was sparsely populated, the Imperial base on Carida was bustling with activity, as Imperial soldiers and officers prepared for the new arrival.  
  
"The Empire will be what it once was, when Muroth is done here," Admiral Jule Tarking was saying to Commander Roche, as they sat in Jule's new office at the base. "Muroth will come and make us into the force that we should be.and then he will sit back and rule the galaxy from his fortress in the center of Coruscant. Think about it, Commander. Once Muroth arrives, we will have all we ever wanted."  
  
"But what of the Rebels? We still haven't found their base, And that Padmé woman that you want to destroy. What about her?"  
  
"Muroth will find her. I have great faith in him. He'll find Padmé and crush the Rebel Alliance so fast that it'll be over before they know what happened to them," Jule said, proudly.  
  
"You seem so assured. Just like Vader was about the Emperor. Look where it landed the Empire when the Emperor completely had Vader's trust," Roche said, standing up.  
  
"The Emperor was weak, Commander. That old religion of his possessed him. He was consumed by it," Jule said coldly, rising to her full height.  
  
"What makes you so sure this Muroth will not be the same way?"  
  
"Don't be blind, Commander," Jule said, softly.  
  
"Maybe you should consider taking your own advice," Roche said, coolly, before leaving the admiral's office, as Jule stared after him in disbelief.  
  
***  
  
Padmé boarded the ship, closing the hatch behind her and leaning against the wall. Closing her eyes, she tried to think of her children as they were now. Leia, a young and proud leader, just as Padmé herself had been. And Luke.a talented young pilot and Jedi Knight, just like his father.or what his father would have been. Padmé opened her eyes and went down the corridor to the cockpit. Anakin.Vader.Anakin.hell. She didn't even know who her husband was anymore.or even if he was still out there, without an evil entity in his place.  
  
Padmé sat down in the pilot's seat and started the engines. The ship shook violently beneath her and the engine died. She blinked her eyes in disbelief, wondering why the ship had suddenly stopped running.  
  
The ship suddenly grew cold, despite the intense heat of the Tatooine desert.  
  
"Mother." a voice, a male voice, whispered from behind her. Padmé stiffened and turned around. She came face to face with the image of Luke Skywalker. The ghostly image continued to speak. "Join me, Mother.it is the only way. Come to the Dark Side, serve the Empire. Surrender, or lose your life."  
  
"Yes, Mother," Leia's image came up beside Luke's. "You cannot resist. The Dark Side will come to you if you don't go to it. Surrender.or die." The images faded and two stormtroopers charged out of the shadows, with their blasters ready to be fired.  
  
"Take her," one said to the other. Padmé screamed and unholstered her blaster, thumbing the setting from "stun" to "kill". She shot the stormtrooper who had spoken in the chest, melting his heart. The other stormtrooper started toward her and she shot him as well, hitting him just below the ribs. She collapsed to the floor, dropping the blaster, and buried her face in her hands as she sobbed uncontrollably. She lifted her eyes briefly to see the two bodies laying there. And only one thought crossed her mind. Maybe the holograms of Luke and Leia were right, she thought, as she prepared to find out what was wrong with the ship. She would go to the Dark Side. Maybe she was already there.  
  
***  
  
"We got this information from an underground resistance on Coruscant," Admiral Ackbar was saying. "Imperial forces have set up a base in one of the surrounding systems. They're worried."  
  
"They want to stop us from taking Coruscant," Leia spoke up. "But how do they know that's what we're planning?"  
  
"The Empire may have had too much power for its own good, but its leaders aren't stupid," Panaka said, rising from his seat. "Did your informants tell you which system the base is located in?"  
  
Ackbar and many others in the room looked taken aback. Finally, Ackbar acknowledged him. "Carida. It's the next system over from Coruscant. You sound as if you know the Empire better than we do." The Calamarian seemed at a loss to put a name to a face.  
  
"Panaka. Captain Panaka. And no, I probably don't know the Empire any better than you do. But I know someone who does. And we need to find her before they do."  
  
"This person that you speak of.she is Padmé Amidala, is she not?" Mon Mothma asked.  
  
"She's just Padmé Naberrie, yes."  
  
"Where is she now? You said that we need to find her. Where is she?"  
  
"I think I know where she is, but I need to go there to be certain," Panaka said.  
  
"Understood," Ackbar acknowledged. "You may leave now, if you wish."  
  
"Thank you, Admiral."  
  
Leia put a hand on his arm. "Luke and I would like to go with you," she said, glancing at Luke, who nodded. "Wait outside."  
  
Panaka only nodded and left the room, closing the door behind him.  
  
***  
  
"I've sent a ship to Tatooine, Master," Jule was saying. She watched the holographic projection on the desk before her for a reaction. But there was none, so she continued. "I have yet to receive an update." At this, the man with whom she was speaking responded.  
  
"When did you last hear from them?"  
  
"They contacted me from the Hoth system. That was late last night."  
  
"Irresponsible," the Dark Master said. "They should have contacted you since then."  
  
At this, Jule began to grow uncomfortable. She felt like he was blaming her. "M-maybe she killed them, my lord," she said.  
  
"That is for you to ascertain, Admiral. Go to the Hoth system immediately. Take a small ship and a small crew. We don't want to attract the Rebels' attention. We don't want them making the first move."  
  
"Yes, my lord," Jule acknowledged.  
  
"I will join you there," the Dark Master said. "And Admiral - do not disappoint me."  
  
Jule did not get a chance to respond. The hologram vanished before her. She reached over and hit the comm.  
  
"Yes, Admiral?"  
  
"Commander Roche, ready my ship. You and Lieutenant Savis will accompany me to Hoth," Jule said.  
  
"Right away, Admiral." Roche did not dare question Jule's order, although it did seem odd to him. He could only guess that this was a matter of great importance.  
  
***  
  
Tearing off the cover, Padmé's eyes quickly roved over the main control panel. It was at this moment that she detected a faint sound, a consistent beeping.  
  
"A countdown." Padmé whispered, looking up from the controls. "Oh, blast!" Getting to her feet, she grabbed her fallen blaster and rushed off the ship. She got off none too soon, because only a moment afterwards, the ship exploded. Padmé threw her hands over her head and buried her face in the ground, to protect her head and face from smoke, dust, and flying debris.  
  
As everything settled and the desert became quiet once again, Padmé lifted her head and looked around, Everything was quiet, save for the crackling from behind, as the remains of her ship burned. She rose to her feet and turned to survey the ship in despair. There was virtually nothing left of it and now she had no way to get off of the planet, no way to find Luke and Leia, and no way to help the Rebellion. And now that Padmé thought about it, she was pretty much at the mercy of the Empire. Unless she could find someone who was willing to help and not harm her.  
  
"There's something else," Padmé whispered. And then she realized what it was. She had left the book on the ship. It was most likely destroyed now. She had hoped to give it to Luke and Leia, but now.it was gone. Padmé shook her head, as tears came to her eyes. There could have been something in it.something to help the Alliance defeat the Empire once and for all. Whatever secrets it had carried were now lost.  
  
***  
  
The small ship landed as darkness fell over Tatooine. Luke was the first to disembark and he stopped short as he saw the small house a short distance away.  
  
"What?" Leia said, as she came up behind him.  
  
"I never realized how much I still miss him.miss Ben, you know?" Luke said, turning to her.  
  
Their conversation was cut short as Panaka ran towards the ruins of a ship laying nearby. "Amidala? Amidala!"  
  
"Panaka, wait!" Luke went after him. He caught the other man by the arm. "You can't do anything now.none of us can," he said. He looked over his shoulder at Leia, who looked away. "It's over."  
  
***  
  
Muroth led Jule to his private ship, which was surrounded by stormtroopers and robed guards.  
  
"Dismissed," he said to them, and they left in an orderly fashion. "KS- 653," he called a trooper back. The last one in line turned and came back.  
  
"Is my ship ready for departure?" Muroth asked.  
  
"Yes, sir," the trooper answered in a monotone.  
  
"Good," Muroth rasped. "Then you won't have to find out what it would ever be like if you were to disobey me!" The stormtrooper looked at him expressionlessly. "Dismissed." The stormtrooper walked away stiffly and the Dark Master vanished into the ship in a swirl of black robes.  
  
***  
  
It was a long trek across the Tatooine desert. It was dangerous as well, with all of the sandpeople in this region of the planet.  
  
Padme traveled only during the day and reached Mos Eisley three days after leaving Ben Kenobi's house. She sat down in the shade of a building near the Mos Eisley cantina. And as she sat there, she was overwhelmed by feelings of nostalgia. Mos Eisley was so much like Mos Emeran, that Padmé kept thinking she would see frail old Tamia walking down the street every time she looked up.  
  
"This isn't fair," she whispered. "Why does it have to be like this?" She jumped as she heard a voice nearby.  
  
"Why does it have to be like what?"  
  
Padme stood to face the voice. What if he was one of them?  
  
"Sorry. Didn't mean to startle you," he said. "Amon Terrik."  
  
"Sabé Starkiller," Padmé whispered. There was no way she was going to tell this man her real name.  
  
"Is there something wrong, Miss.Starkiller?" Amon asked.  
  
"Sabé. Please. And I need a ship. I need to get off this planet."  
  
Amon paused, as he contemplated what she had said.  
  
Finally, he said, "Come. Let me buy you a drink." He led her toward the cantina. "Then we'll talk."  
  
Padmé relented and went with him. "Just one, though. I don't drink much," she said.  
  
The cantina was noisy and crowded. It was dark, too, but Padmé didn't care. She really didn't want anyone to see her. Amon took her over to the bar and ordered two ruby bliels. When they arrived, Padmé was surprised.  
  
"Ruby bliels?"  
  
"Of course! You really didn't think that I'd let a nice woman like you have a hard drink, did you?"  
  
Padmé ignored him and sipped her drink. "It's been awhile since I've had one of these." She thought back to the first time she'd had one. She'd been with Anakin at the time. That was back when things had been simple, when they'd been right.  
  
Padmé shook her head and turned her attention to the matter at hand. "I need a ship. I must leave Tatooine immediately," she said, looking at Amon.  
  
"I'd be willing to take you anywhere you like if you would tell me why you want to leave."  
  
"I can't tell you that," Padmé said.  
  
"Then I can't take you anywhere," Amon concluded.  
  
Padmé paused. He'd backed her into a corner. "All right. I'll tell you. But not here," she said. "We must go outside."  
  
He agreed, and after paying for their drinks, he followed her outside into the heat of the twin suns of Tatooine.  
***  
  
Jule stood by the viewport and stared, uncomprehendingly, into space. She was so inert that she didn't hear Muroth come into the room.  
  
"There is something bothering you, Admiral," he said. She jumped when he spoke. "Did I startle you?"  
  
Jule shook her head and stared out at the stars.  
  
"Face me," Muroth commanded, "and don't lie."  
  
"We must go to Tatooine, Master."  
  
"Agreed. I have already ordered that we change our course," Muroth said. "There is nothing on Hoth. The ship that we sent out left the planet several days ago.we are following the hyperspace trail."  
  
"Several days ago?" Master, Padmé could be gone by now."  
  
"Patience, Admiral," Muroth said, quietly. "We will find her.she will lead us to Skywalker.and Skywalker will lead us to the Rebel Base."  
  
"Master."  
  
"The Force will guide us." Muroth answered the unasked question.  
  
***  
  
Panaka came back from the ruins of the ship, his face covered in dust and ash. "I found two bodies in there," he said. "Not her, though. There were other people there."  
  
"She got away?" Leia asked.  
  
"There are footprints leading away from the ship," Panaka said, "in that direction." He pointed.  
  
"She's gone to Mos Eisley," Luke surmised.  
  
"And that's where we're going," Leia said.  
  
"Leia, it'll take us three days to get there on foot. Look, she's going to try and leave the planet. We can track her down then."  
  
"We have a ship! We can get to Mos Eisley that way!" Leia protested.  
  
"But we have nowhere to land it!" Luke countered. "Mos Eisley's not exactly the place you want to be sneaking into with a starship." At this, Leia deflated. Luke bit his lip and went on. "The most important part of being a Jedi is having patience," he said, softly. "We will wait.we will find her." He turned to Panaka. "We should leave now."  
  
"We'll probably miss her if we do that," Panaka said, glancing at Leia.  
  
"No, we won't," Luke said, heading up into their ship. "I have an idea."  
  
***  
  
"I'm looking for my children. We've been separated for almost twenty years," Padmé explained as they stood outside the cantina.  
  
"Who are they?" Amon asked. "And where do you want to start? It's a big galaxy. They could be anywhere."  
  
Uh-oh. "The truth?" Padmé asked.  
  
"You mean, you've been lying to me?"  
  
"Well.not about the children," Padmé said, taking a deep breath. "But my name isn't Sabé Starkiller." She paused, allowing this to sink in. Then she continued. "My son is a Jedi Knight, and my daughter is the Princess of Alderaan."  
  
Amon laughed. "And I suppose you're the queen of some sovereignty."  
  
Padmé was about to say yes, but she stopped herself, as she saw a group of stormtroopers come up behind him. So instead, she turned and ran, but to no avail. They stunned her and she collapsed into Amon's waiting arms.  
  
"Sorry about this, Your Highness," he said, "but you're ours now."  
  
***  
  
"Luke!" an urgent voice called out, a voice that Luke recognized. He thought he was going crazy when he heard it, though. "Luke! Listen, you've got to wake up!" The distant voice called out again, through the shadows.  
  
Luke lifted his head to see a pale apparition standing before him. It was that of Ben Kenobi, his first master.  
  
"Luke, you must return to the Dagobah system with your sister. The threat to the Rebel Alliance is growing. You must leave now."  
  
Luke opened his mouth to protest, but Ben held up a ghostly hand. "No, Luke.they have your mother. She knows where the base is. And if they go there, they'll find you if you're there."  
  
By this time, Leia had come to sit beside Luke. "They found Mother?"  
  
Luke only nodded, never taking his eyes off of the apparition.  
  
"As Force-sensitives, you are the last hope for the Alliance. It's dangerous for you both right now."  
  
Before either of them could say a word, Ben vanished.  
  
Luke turned to Leia. "You go. Take Artoo with you. Panaka and I will stay on Tatooine."  
  
"Luke, no! We have to get back to the base!"  
  
"You heard what Ben said.they have our mother. It's only a matter of time before they find the base," Luke said.  
  
"Fine," Leia whispered, defeated. "But be careful."  
  
"We will, we will," Luke said, hugging her. It was then that Panaka came in. Luke looked at him. "We need to go back to the surface. There's been a change of plans."  
  
"What's going on?"  
  
"It appears that Mother may be in trouble. We're going to the surface to see if we can find her."  
  
Leia looked at Luke in disbelief. Luke turned to her. "I have no intention of letting our mother fall into the wrong hands. I know that I usually heed Ben's advice, - he was my master - but our mother is the only family that we have left. I feel obligated to try and get her back."  
  
***  
  
As the ship descended through the Tatooine atmosphere, Luke concentrated. The air was filled with confusion, it seemed. And chaos. Silently, Luke willed the ship to go faster. It barely registered in his mind that he was steering the ship himself. In the periphery of his mind, he heard a startled noise issue from Panaka, as Panaka was forced to yield control to a force greater than himself.  
  
Panaka shrugged and released control, as Luke came forward, trance-like, his eyes half-open. "I don't know how Padmé ever got used to things like that," he said to himself.  
  
Buffeted by winds and swirling sand, the ship sank to the ground. All was quiet, as Luke started to come back from within himself. Without warning, his eyes snapped open. Both Leia and Panaka involuntarily jumped.  
  
Panaka looked around. "Where are we?"  
  
Luke looked around, as if noticing his surroundings for the first time. With a start, he saw the burned ruins of the place where he had lived with his aunt and uncle. There were days when he wished none of this had happened, that he was still home with Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, only dreaming of what he could be doing out there, among the stars.  
  
"Luke?" Panaka asked. "Luke, are you alright?"  
  
Luke shook his head to clear it. "Yeah.yeah, I'm fine. We're, um.this was the home of our aunt and uncle, before they died at the hands of the Empire," he explained. "This is as close to Mos Eisley as we're going to get without being noticed." He stood up and started toward the back, where some provisions were stored. "Take only what we absolutely need. It's going to be a long walk."  
  
He came back in with some water for all of them, and some different clothes. It was necessary that they travel incognito. Panaka felt an odd sense that he had done this before. //Except it wasn't me,// he thought. Padmé had been the one that had gone out there, in search of parts, but instead had found.  
  
Anakin.  
  
Not that they hadn't still gotten all of the parts, but Anakin came aboard in the process. But that was the past, mused Panaka, as he pulled on a jacket. Nothing could be done now. They had to save Padmé.  
  
"Are we ready?" Luke asked. When his companions nodded, they sealed the ship and set off.  
  
***  
  
Amon hefted the unconscious woman in his arms. Admiral Tarkin would be so proud of him. And this Dark Master.Muroth, of her. He was proud, for once. to do a service for the Empire, although sometimes, he still wasn't sure, Amon mused, as he walked among the stormtroopers to his ship. They were going up into a parking orbit to wait for the Dark Master. Amon could taste the impending victory. He saw the impending doom for the rebels in the eyes of the people who watched along the roadside. They looked haunted, some of them. He was glad that these people knew. He was glad they knew that it was all over for them.  
  
***  
  
Muroth's shuttle came into orbit, where Amon's ship was waiting. They docked, and Muroth and Jule walked down the ramp.  
  
"Amon, my brother." Jule reached toward him, and he backed away. "Jule, the money."  
  
"Fine.it's all waiting in an account on Coruscant." At the look he gave her, she asked, "What, you don't believe me?"  
  
"Of course I do, Jule, but.isn't it enough that I do your dirty work for you? I never asked to be a part of this, you know. I always felt that Father's schemes were too much." At this, a leather-clad hand came across his cheek.  
  
"Don't you dare blaspheme Father's memory! He died for the freedom of the galaxy!"  
  
"Yeah, I'm sure he did," Amon said under his breath. Aloud, he said, "Now, if you'll no longer be needing me, I'll be going." He started back toward his ship, when he heard Jule behind him. "Yes.you may go." And then he felt a burning in his back, as he fell to the floor.  
  
"Put him in the cell with her," she ordered them. "I had hoped that he had had a change of heart, but we can all see that that wasn't the case." She watched as the troopers carried away Amon's limp form. Allowing herself a small smile, she turned to Muroth. "The galaxy is at your beck and call, Master," she said.  
  
Muroth said nothing. He had risen. And so had the Empire. The conquest would soon be complete. 


End file.
